92 UP AND DOWN THE BROOKS. 



igig, undaunted, plunged into the spider's em- 

 brace, and, before I could divine his intention, 

 that Whirligig bit his antagonist directly in two 

 at the waist and whirled off with the fore part of 

 the body, leaving the hinder half to the care of 

 some less brave Whirligigs. So ended this " Gen- 

 tle and Joyous Passage of Arms." 



Beetles of other sorts seem to be rejected by 

 Whirligigs, according to my observations. Prob- 

 ably the hard outside of most beetles is what de- 

 ters the Whirligigs from attack. A dead bee 

 that I once gave them was merely tasted of. Bee- 

 flesh and ant-flesh are alike distasteful, which 

 shows that Whirligigs have some gustatory pow- 

 ers, as well as other folks. 



" Tourniquets,'' turn-stiles, or turn-pikes, the 

 French call these Whirligigs, and, if one of these 

 beetles were set for that office, I think he would 

 whirl as rapidly as did ever any turn-stile. Con- 

 trary to what one would think, these lively beetles 

 seem to be quite well contented as captives. A 

 jar is a world almost big enough for a Whirligig. 



" Beetles," says old De Mouffet, " serve divers 

 uses, for they both profit our mindes, and they 

 cure some infirmities of our bodies." I do not 

 know that Whirligigs are remedies for any of the 

 ills that flesh is heir to. If, then, these beetles 

 serve no use for our " infirmities," how do they 

 " profit our mindes " ? 



Well, perhaps they may remind us of the old, 



